


kiss of death

by ironxprince



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Avengers: Endgame (Movie), Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie), Canon Compliant, Captain America: Civil War (Movie), Gen, Hurt Tony Stark, Iron Man 1, Iron Man 2, Iron Man 3, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, Tony Stark-centric, canon compliant character death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-04
Updated: 2020-11-04
Packaged: 2021-03-09 03:27:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,613
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27387937
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ironxprince/pseuds/ironxprince
Summary: A documentation of Tony Stark's journey through the MCU with the physical entity of Death hovering over his shoulder, her claws around his throat, waiting to take him away.But before she can take him, she reaches for those he loves.
Relationships: Happy Hogan & Tony Stark, James "Rhodey" Rhodes & Tony Stark, Pepper Potts/Tony Stark, Peter Parker & Tony Stark
Comments: 10
Kudos: 41





	kiss of death

**Author's Note:**

> In case it wasn't clear in the tags, this is Infinity War and Endgame compliant, filled with canonical character injuries/deaths spread throughout the entirety of the MCU.
> 
> This was originally posted as a ficlet, but now I'm sharing it as a stand-alone. It's one of my favourite pieces I've ever written, and I hope you enjoy it, too.

To Tony, Death is an old friend.

First, she came for his parents. That was Tony’s first meeting with her, and his most devastating. _Why?_ He’d screamed after receiving the phone call. **_No reason will be good enough to garner your understanding,_** was her response. _Why them? **Their time on this earth is spent.** Why me? _**_Your time is just beginning._**

Tony’s time came next - or, so he thought. But he wasn’t ready; he refused to leave this way. Death revealed to him truth, honesty he had not once opened his eyes to, and how cruel would she be if she ripped him away before he could fix it? _I’m not ready_ , he had begged as he lay on the makeshift bed, dust falling from the cave ceiling above, his life reliant on a car battery. **_Nor are we for you._** _There’s no chance of my survival._ ** _There is always a chance. You just have to fight to create it._**

Time and time again Tony had his brushes with Death. She came for him, fingers caressing his cheeks, tugging at the machinery in place of his heart. _Not yet_ , he pleaded as his own creation was harvested and used against him. **_No_** , Death agreed. _I can still do more!_ He cried as he was torn apart from the inside, his creation now his downfall, the poison delivered to him in a golden goblet. **_Then do it_** , Death challenged, and Tony created a new element. _Let me survive long enough to finish this_ , he whispered as he shouldered the missile, flying up toward that portal. The world turned dark, there was an explosion of light, and his eyes fell closed. **_You will survive this, and more._**

But Tony was getting tired.

And then, Happy wound up in the hospital. _He doesn’t deserve this._ ** _No one ever does._** _Then do something!_ ** _Focus on your task._** _Save him. Wake him up. **It is not his time to leave, nor his time to wake.** And what am I supposed to do with that? _**_You must work._** _Not when he’s in danger._ ** _You are not in the place to make demands. Finish your task. I will attend to mine._** Pepper came next, falling into flames. _Not her_ , Tony sobbed. _Anyone but her. **Finish your task.** SAVE HER- __**She is but a blight in your mission.** She’s my world. _**_And you have to save everyone else’s._** But Pepper was brought back, all the same, just for Rhodes to be thrown down. _Don’t take him from me. **Save him.** I can’t reach him- _**_Save him._** Tony fought as hard as he could, driving Rhodes from hospital to hospital, travelling alongside his gurney as he was wheeled in and out of emergency rooms. He did all he could, built prosthetic after prototype, thought of hundreds of advancements, and Death delivered. Rhodes was saved.

 _Don’t let me die like this,_ Tony begged, blue and red and white above him. _It hurts. It hurts. **This pain is emotional. It will pass. It will scar. You are not ready to leave the physical world yet.** It hurts. End it. Don’t let me die. __**It will pass. You will not.** Fix this pain. _**_This burden is yours to carry._**

Tony’s finished. He’s done. Death can take him now; he doesn’t care. He’ll go.

_Take me._ **_Not yet._ ** _I’m ready-_ **_No, you’re not._ ** _I’ve done all I can!_ **_You still have more to give._ ** _Keep Pepper and Rhodey safe when I’m gone._ **_Death does not promise, nor act prematurely._ ** _And what if I do it? What if I take matters into my own hands?_ **_Rest assured, Death’s doors will remain closed to you until it is your time._ **

_This_ is my time, Tony wants to argue. He’s done with this life. He’s tired. He can’t fight anymore.

And then, Spider-Man comes into his life.

Peter Parker is nothing; he’s an alliance, an associate, a team member. He’ll be taken care of. Tony can leave; Peter will be safe. Tony shouldn’t have to worry; so why does he?

 _I will miss him_ , Tony thinks reluctantly, scared to admit it, _when I’m gone._ _I will miss his smile, and his heart of gold, and his need to do good, and his finding happiness in the smallest things. I will miss his intelligence and his kindness. I will miss his joy and his glee and the miles on his soul that he manages to keep young and innocent. I will miss him._ ** _Yes, you will._**

And then, Death is taking Peter from him, too.

“Mr. Stark?”

A chill sets into Tony’s bones and he turns, terrified of what he’ll see. _Not him. Please, not him._ ** _You failed your mission._**

“I don’t feel so good.”

_Anyone but him._ **_You failed._ **

“You’re alright.” _Let him be alright. I’m begging you._ ** _Death can not be persuaded. It is unrelenting._**

“I don’t- know what’s happening-” Peter stumbles forward into Tony’s arms and Tony’s waiting to catch him, but there’s not much of Peter left to grab.

He’s fading.

He’s leaving.

He’s being taken, too.

_Please, no._ **_You failed._ **

“I don’t wanna go. I don’t wanna go.”

_I’ll do anything._ **_You will have your chance._ **

“Please, Mr. Stark, I don’t wanna go-”

_Let me help him. Let me- Take me. Take me instead._ **_Death does not exchange._ **

“I’m sorry.”

_Don’t let him- don’t let him leave! Don’t let him leave me! Take me, please, let him live, take me-_ **_You still have more to give._ **

Tony’s hands land on the dusty ground. Dust. Everything is dust, everywhere he looks, everything he sees.

**_You still have more to give._ **

Five years later, Tony gets his chance.

 _It hurts,_ his mind screams as cosmic gems pierce his skin, as his blood is fused with hatred at the figure that stands before him, as his face lights up with triumph. He can win. He _will_ win. _It hurts. **It will end soon.** Is this the right path? _Death brushes back his hair. **_You have done well. Come home now._**

Through sheer force of will, Tony manages to force his middle finger and thumb together, manages to slide them over each other. There’s a blinding light, a deafening noise, and he’s thrown back - but where is he to go when the explosion comes from within?

 _Have I done it?_ he gasps as he drags himself back, behind a pile of wreckage. _**You have succeeded.** Don’t let them see me, _he begs. _**Allow them to say goodbye.** Don’t hurt them. Don’t hurt them. _Because though Tony lost a part of himself on that orange planet, he’s gained so much more, and he’d hate for it to end this way, for them to see him, broken and bruised.

**_You are not broken. You are not bruised. You are a hero, a champion. You are their saviour._ **

Rhodes finds him, how fitting. He’s crying, and Tony wants to tell him to save his tears. _We won. We won._ ** _He knows._** Tony smiles up at Rhodes, and it’s painful, and his vision blurs, but he smirks. _I got that damn bastard._ Rhodes smiles. He gives a wet laugh. _You did. You did._ He steps back. _Goodbye, Tones._ Rhodes is ready. He’s seen this coming. He’s at peace; or, he will be.

Peter is young. He is not ready.

Peter takes Rhodes’ place, falling to his knees just in front of Tony, hands grasping at his suit. _Help him_ , Tony begs. _Tell him not to cry. Wipe away his tears, or allow me to lift my arms so I can. **He is in mourning.** But I’m still here! I’m still here, let me comfort him, let me wrap my arms around him- _**_Allow him the right to feel._**

“Mr. Stark? You did it, Mr. Stark. You won.” _We won. We won, kid._ “You did it, Sir. You did it.” _Let me comfort him. He’s my kid. **He will survive.** Without me. _**_He will be okay._** “I’m sorry.” _Don’t apologize. Don’t apologize. I did this for you, can’t you see?_ ** _He will be okay._** _Let me help him._ ** _He will be okay._** “I’m sorry, Tony….” Peter’s being pulled away, pulled back, head tucked into War Machine’s shoulder. _Help him, Rhodey. Take care of him for me._ ** _He will. He will._**

Pepper comes next, Pepper, the love of his life. His rock through all these years, the mother of his child- _Morgan. **She will be okay.** I’m leaving her without her father- _**_And with very fond memories. You’ve succeeded, Tony. You’ve succeeded._**

“Hey, Pep,” Tony manages to gasp, eyes finding hers, glowing across the battlefield.

“Tony.” Pepper smiles. Her chin wobbles. Tony hears Peter sob. _Peter._ His child. _I need to comfort him._

“Kid….”

**_He will be okay._ **

_Just let me see him-_

“Tony, look at me.”

**_He will be okay._ **

“We’re gonna be okay.” Pepper touches a hand to his chestplate. “You can rest now.”

 ** _They will be okay._** Happy and Rhodey and Pepper and Peter and Morgan, they’ll be okay. They have each other. They will survive, Tony’s ensured it. He’s created a world for them, one to keep them safe, one where they can be happy and live freely. **_They will be okay._**

**_You can rest now._ **

Pepper’s crying, but she will be okay. Rhodey sheds a tear, but he will be okay.

Peter is sobbing.

He will be okay.

_I did this all for you, kid._

Tony leans his head back against the wreckage behind him.

He exhales, one final time.

His arc reactor fades to black.

**_You can rest now._ **

**_Come home._ **

When Tony meets Death, he greets her like an old friend, and she welcomes him with open arms.


End file.
